Setting the mood

Using lighting to enhance productivity, creativity and sleep

It’s no secret that lighting affects us in a very direct manner. From our mood, to our ability to be productive, creative and even whether or not we get headaches or a good night’s rest! We are all human, and in that, we are all inherently tied to our “biological clock”. We are naturally programmed, through our DNA and evolution, to function in different ways at different times of the day – and the biggest player in all of this process is lighting!

• 

The lighting that we surround ourselves with, combined with the colours in our living space, the ambient sounds, smells and temperatures, all have a drastic effect on the overall outcome of our day.

Through evolution, humans have become conditioned by the sun. At dawn, the sun is low, not very intense and amber in colour before embarking on an upward trajectory, where it intensifies and takes on a cooler hue. The pattern is then reversed after the sun reaches its peak at midday. 

• 

In 2020, we are far removed from our caveman ancestors who solely relied on the sun as a light source. On average, we spend 90 percent of our time indoors and tend to be awake far more into the night thanks to artificial lighting. There are however, a number of things that we can do to realign ourselves with our “biological clock” resulting in higher levels of creativity, productivity and better sleep.

• 

As we’ve seen above, we are very much in tune with the sun and should aim to replicate its characteristics in our interior design language. Think about where you generally start and end your day – the bedroom. In this room lighting should be soft, warm, diffused and gentle. It’s no wonder that lamp shades, dimmers and modular lighting with warm yellow or amber colour make so much sense in these rooms! Smart lighting solutions, multicolour LEDs and programmable automatic lighting solutions add a further technological touch to this concept.

• 

The opposite can be said when aiming to work and increase productivity. Ample natural light with a cooler light temperature has been associated with high productivity and alertness. This is generally most ideal for tasks which require our logic and cognitive skills to be at their best.

On the other hand, studies have shown that a gentler, warmer and less bright ambience can be known to boost creativity as our brains are more relaxed and able to wander into their creative space.

• 

When designing your living and working space, you should implement these concepts so that they complement the functionality, design and layout of your space. Whatever your lighting needs are – be it a high-tech smart lighting solution or a simple yet elegant desk lamp, Elektra has the solution to ignite your mood!